75th Liberation Anniversaries This month marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of much of the Limburg Province. This was a result of the offensive that started with the Normandy landings on 6 June. The United States Army’s 30th Infantry Divi- sion (nicknamed the “Old Hickory” division) crossed the Belgian border near Vise on 12 September. By 13 Sep- tember they had reached our namesake, Margraten. They continued to push through the region, liberating Maastricht (14 September), Geleen (18 September), and Sittard (19 September). In the middle of this push, Operation Market Garden kicked off to the north in the Eindhoven-Arnhem corridor. Although the objective of establishing a foothold over the Rhine River was not achieved, the operation captured several critical bridges and resulted in the liberation of Eindhoven, Nijmegen, and multiple villages in between. There was still a long way to go before the end of the war; immediately after Market Garden, the Allied Forces began an assault on the Siegfried Line, which included the Battle of Aachen, the Battle of Huurtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. A combination of intense battle and an unusually harsh winter eventually cost 140,000 American lives as part of this campaign. To handle the mass casualties, the Americans assigned the 611th Graves Registration Company (a segregated African-American unit) to begin turning farm fields in Margraten as a ceme- tery in November 1944. By the war’s end, over 22,000 Americans, Allies, and Germans were transported from as far as 600 kilometers away for interment (the years following the war saw most of the fallen remains exhumed and relocated to other cemeteries or returned to their families). The liberation of our Dutch allies marked the beginning of a deep friendship that continues to this day, as evi- denced by the existence of numerous friendship and cultural exchange organizations that exist to this day. Our friends also recognize and remember the enormous sacrifice that helped bring about their liberation 75 years ago. To both recognize this friendship and honor the sacrifice of Americans and the Allies that passed through this region, I encourage you to find and attend a celebration event this coming month (a full list of events in our community can be found at https://www.75jaarbevrijdinglimburg.nl/activiteiten/activiteiten-per/). Post Commander Finance Officer Service Officer Inside This Issue Page 1 75th Liberation Anniversary Dennis Owens John Chandler Ron Macauley Page 2 Post NL01 Out and About 1st Vice Commander Adjutant Historian Page 3-4 Disaster Preparedness Jim Brotherton Rick Ojeda William Tam Page 5 American Legion National Convention 2nd Vice Commander Sergeant-At-Arms Judge Advocate Page 6 Expanding our Legion Family Joshua Steinlicht Mark Chernek Jeff Danico Page 7 Legion Riders Page 8 Training Opportunity Page 9 August Meeting Recap Page 10 Upcoming Events Facebook: American Legion Post Margraten NL01 E-Mail: [email protected] Phone:+49-175-3604353 Your Legion Family-Out and About Post NL01 and Legion Riders bagged groceries at USAG Schinnen Com- missary on August 4th. The two groups raised $766 in donations and raised awareness about the American Legion family in our community! The Schinnen Community Expo was held on August 17th. The Post sold Hamburgers and Hot Dogs and had an awareness table. Not only did we gain 3 American Legion members during this event, we also re- cruited potential members for an local American Legion Auxiliary unit! After this event, we are halfway to the number required to get started. 2 Disaster Preparedness Month Fellow Legionnaires, September is National Disaster Preparedness Month. Although we are all enjoying living abroad, we should remember that natural disasters, industrial accidents, and terrorist attacks can happen anywhere and any- time. The purpose of this article is not to spread fear; it is to highlight the risks you could face while living in the area, to provide you scenarios you can prepare emergency plans for at home, and to give you resources to keep you and your family safe. Natural Disasters The most likely natural disasters you could face in the Benelux area are severe weather events and earth- quakes. In March of this year, a tornado struck a village near Aachen, damaging 40 homes. As recent as Au- gust, a tornado briefly spawned in central Amsterdam. This area is also susceptible to ice and snow storms during the winter months. The area we are in sits in the Lower Rhine Graben Basin of the European Cenozoic Rift System, one of six are- as north of the Alps that experiences regular seismic activity. In the last 30 days, 18 earthquakes (all under 2 magnitude on the Richter scale) have been recorded in the area. The largest earthquake in the area occurred in 1992 in the city of Roermond with a recorded magnitude of 5.8. Tectonic stress caused from gas mining in the northern part of the Netherlands is believed to be the cause behind frequent earthquakes (seismic activi- ty is recorded almost daily) in the area around Groningen. Man-made Disasters The risk of an industrial accident in the area is very real and does happen on occasion. The Chemlot Industrial Complex in Geleen occasionally has fires or accidental releases. On August 3rd a toxic chemical leak was de- tected, resulting in orders for the local community to shelter in place. The Tihange Nuclear Plant near Liege in Belgium is slated to shut down in 2025. However, until that time comes the community should be aware that in recent years structural deficiencies have been identified requiring emergency repairs. Terrorist Attacks There has been a rise in terrorist attacks in Europe since 2014. At least 89 attacks have claimed the lives of 373 people. The Brussels bombings in 2016 impacted a family from our local community, killing an Air Force spouse and injuring the rest of her family. Attacks in Europe take form in shootings, vehicular based attacks, knife and machete attacks, and bombings. Continued on Page 4. Quick Links Europe Weather Warnings https://www.meteoalarm.eu/ Department of State STEP Program https://step.state.gov/ Emergency Alert Registration-Germany https://www.katwarn.de/en/ Emergency Alert Information-Netherlands https://crisisprodwe.azureedge.net/media/57921/2019-05-22-nl-alert- factsheet-eng.pdf Earthquake Safety Information https://www.ready.gov/earthquakes Earthquake Monitoring-Europe https://www.emsc-csem.org/#2 Federal Disaster Preparedness Information https://www.ready.gov/ 3 Continued from Page 3. Preparation through education is less costly than learning through tragedy. Max Mayfield, Director National Hurricane Center, 2000-2007 What can I do to prepare for a disaster? There are multiple steps you can take to prepare yourself and your family to prepare for a disaster. Now that you know some of the localized risks, the first and easiest step to take is to keep yourself informed. All cellphones in the Netherlands are registered with the national emergency notification situation; if something is going on in the area you will receive a notification with an alarm (similar to emergency notifications you may have received its the United States). All bus and train departure boards will also have emergency information displayed. You can learn more about the program at nl-alert.nl. In our area specifically, 1Limburg’s television and radio station will serve as the emergency broadcast sys- tems. If you live on the German side of the border, take a look at KATWARN, an app that allows you to register up to 7 locations in Germany to receive localized emergency notifications. You can monitor severe weather conditions across Europe at meteoalrm.eu. If you plan on traveling, make sure you look at weather along your route to identify and plan for hazards. If severe weather is approaching your area, prepare appropriately (based on the season). If you experience an earthquake, your actions will depend on where you are. If you are indoors, take cover and protect your head. Stay away from glass or any fixtures that could fall. Do not stand in a doorway; most are not strong enough to offer you protection. Don’t go outside until the shaking has stopped. If you are trapped under debris, do not light anything (potential that gas lines have been damaged), protect your airway with, and tap on nearby debris to draw attention to yourself. If you are outdoors when an earthquake strikes, move away from buildings and utility wires and stay put until the shaking stops. If you are in a moving vehicle, stop away from buildings, bridges, and utility wires. Use extreme caution when you continue. In case you are forced to evacuate the area due to a natural disaster, it would be a smart idea to have an emergency kit. You can buy a commercially prepared kit, or build one on your own using www.ready.gov/build-a-kit as a guide. Make sure all members of your household know the localized risks and what your family’s emergency preparedness plans are. Be aware of your surroundings, especially in large crowds that could be a target for some kind of attack. Know where your exits are. It is highly recommended that Americans living abroad register for the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). You will receive security alerts for Americans in your area with advice on how to protect yourself. 4 American Legion 101st National Convention The American Legion’s 101st National Convention was held in Indianapolis 23-29 August 2019. The week was full of workshops, competitions, guest speakers, and service projects and concluded with the General Ses- sion. There are many worthwhile recaps and videos about the convention that you can access at https:// www.legion.org/convention.